Woven-type magnetic memory device



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I INVENTOIR gyms MHTSHSHI'TH J. W main-n United States Patent 3,391,398 WOVEN-TYPE MAGNETIC MEMORY DEVICE Akira Matsushita, Hoya-machi, Japan, assignor to Toko Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo-to, Japan, a joint-stock company of Japan Filed June 22, 1965, Ser. No. 465,996 Claims priority, application Japan, June 24, 1964, 39/ 35,715 2 Claims. (Cl. 340-174) This invention relates to a new and improved magnetic memory device of the woven type wherein coductor wires, each covered with thin-film magnetic coating (hereinafter referred to as magnetic thin film wire), are interwoven with insulated conductor wires.

It is an object of the present invention to provide woven magnetic memory devices of the above specified type wherein waste spaces between the weft wires and warp wires are almost completely eliminated, thereby to improve the performance and miniaturize the size of said memory devices.

Briefly stated, the invention resides in the weaving arrangement of a magnetic memory device of the type formed by Weaving into a fabric structure several magnetic thin-film wires as weft wires and Several insulated conductor wires as warp wires, in which weaving arrangement, as viewed in the cross-sectional plane of the weft wires, the weft wires are in a zigzag pattern consisting of two, mutually staggered rows of weft Wires, said rows being parallel to the plane of the fabric structure and being as close to each other as determined by the state of the warp wires, and the warp wires are woven over-and-under the weft wires alternately of the two rows, one group of wrap wires passing around the outer sides, with respect to the fabric structure, of the weft wires, and another group of warp wires passing around the inner sides of the weft wires, whereby almost the entire periphery of each weft wire is closely wrapped by the combination of each warp wire of one group and a related warp wire of the other group.

The nature, principle, and details of the invention will be more clearly apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic planar view showing one example of construction of a woven-type magnetic memory device of general type;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view, taken along a plane perpendicular to the weft direction, showing the physical relationship between the weft and warp in a woven structure of general type;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view, similar to FIGURE 2, showing the basic configuration of the woven magnetic memory device of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a schematic diagram, in side elevation, showing an example of method and essential apparatus for weaving the device shown in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view, similar to FIGURE 2, showing a preferred embodiment of the woven magnetic memory according to the invention.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the woven magnetic memory device of general type shown therein comprises several magnetic thin-film wire 1, each consisting of a conductor core wire coated with a magnetic thin wire, constituting weft yarn and several conductor wires 2 insulated from each other and from the weft yarn and constituting warp yarn, the weft and warp yarns being woven into a fabric structure (with spacer wires and the like interwoven between the weft and/or warp yarn in some cases). After the device is woven, the ends 3 of appropriate adjacent warp wires 2 are connected to form coils of a single turn 3,391,398 Patented July 2, 1968 "ice or two or more turns around the magnetic thin-film wires 1.

When the magnetic easy axis of the magnetic thin-film wire 1 is in the circumferential direction thereof, the magnetic thin-film wires 1 are used as information lines (which function doubly as digit lines and sense lines), and the conductor wires 2 are used as word drive lines. When the magnetic easy axis is in the wire axis direction of the magnetic thin-film wires 1, these wires 1 are used as word drive lines, and the conductor wires 2 are used as information lines. In either case, because of purposes such as the increasing of output, it is desirable that the fabric structure be so woven that the conductor wires 2 are disposed as closely as possible along the outer periphery of the magnetic thin-film wires 1.

Ordinarily, however, in the case where the warp yarn are caused to have uniform tension, and the magnetic thin-film wires 1 are woven therewith, there is considerable separation between adjacent weft yarn as indicated in FIGURE 2, even when the weaving is made as fine as possible without damaging the magnetic thin-film covering the magnetic thin-film wires 1. Consequently, a substantial waste space S unavoidably results between the conductor wires 2 and the magnetic thin-film wires 1.

One measure for decreasing this space S is to contract to an extreme degree the gap P between adjacent weft wires. This contraction of the gap P, however, is limited by the possibility of the warp wires 2 biting into the magnetic thin-film of the weft wires 1, thereby readily giving rise to magnetostriction.

Accordingly, by weaving the fabric with one conductor wire 2 of two adjacent conductors caused to assume a substantially straight-line state and only the other conductor wire 2a caused to assume a wave-form state, as indicated in FIGURE 3, it is possible to contract greatly the gap P between adjacent magnetic thin-film wires 1.

The purpose here is distinguishing the conductor wire as 2 and 2a is to distinguish the wire covering one side of the same magnet thin-film wire from the wire covering the other side thereof. It will be obvious that, in general, this distinction applies not only to conductor wires but also to members such as spacer wires other than the warp wires.

In the weaving of a fabric in the above described man ner, as indicated in FIGURE 4, the diameter d of the warp feed (warp beam) drum 4 for the conductor wires 2 is, of course, made smaller than the diameter d of the warp feed drum 5 for the conductor wires 2a. By this difference in the diameters of the warp feed drums, the conductor wires 2 are placed under high tension, and the conductor wires 2a are placed under relatively low tension. Accordingly, it is possible to accomplish weaving with the conductor wires 2a in a looser state than the conductor wires 2 as is indicated in FIGURE 3.

In actual practice, of course, even if weaving is carried out as indicated in FIGURE 3 with the conductor wires 2 intended to be in a straight-line state, they will assume a wave form shape to a certain extent. Therefore, if the gap P as shown in FIGURE 3 is contracted even further, the resulting woven fabric will assume a state, as indicated in FIGURE 5, wherein, with the conductor wires 2 constituting a boundary between upper and lower sides,

each weft wire on the upper side is partly interposed between and spans two weft wires on the lower side, and each weft wire on the lower side is partly interposed between and spans two weft wires on the upper side.

It is to be observed here that, by the above described weaving arrangement of the fabric structure, the conductor wires 2 and 2a which are to be connected at their ends, in combined effect, can be wrapped closely and almost completely around the periphery of the magnetic thin-film wire 1, and, since the gap P between adjacent weft wires is contracted, the size of the product can be greatly miniaturized.

By the weaving arrangement of the present invention as described above, since the conductor wires 2, constituting the warp are disposed closely to and almost completely around the magnetic thin-film wires 1 constituting the weft, there is provided a magnetic memory device of high performance and miniature size.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relates to only a preferred embodiment of the invention and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for the purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the in vention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a magnetic memory device of the type formed by weaving into a fabric structure several conductor Wires, each coated with a magnetic thin-film, as weft wires and several conductor wires, insulated from each other and from the weft wires, as warp wires, the Weaving arrangement of said fabric structure wherein, with respect to each of said weft wires coated with magnetic thinfilm, the arc length of bend of the warp conductor wires Wrapped around one side of said weft wire is greater than the arc length of bend of the warp conductor wires wrapped around the other side of said weft wire.

2. In a magnetic memory device of the type formed by weaving into a fabric structure several conductor wires, each coated with a magnetic thin-film, as weft wires and several conductor wires, insulated from each other and from the weft wires, as warp wires, the Weaving arrangement of said fabric structure wherein, as viewed in the cross-sectional plane of the weft wires, the weft Wires are in a zigzag pattern consisting of mutually staggered, first and second rows of weft wires, said rows being parallel to the plane of said fabric structure and being as close to each other as determined by the state of the warp Wires, and the warp wires are woven overand-under the weft wires alternately of the first and second rows, one group of warp wires passing around the outer sides, with respect to said fabric structure, of the Weft wires, and another group of warp wires passing around the inner sides of the Weft wires, whereby almost the entire periphery of each weft wire is closely Wrapped by the combination of each warp wire of one group and a related warp wire of the other group.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,124,725 3/1964 Leguillon 29155.5 3,239,822 3/1966 Davis et a1. 29-155.5 3,241,127 3/1966 Snyder 340-174 3,300,767 1/1967 Davis et. a1. 340174 RICHARD J. HERBST, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A MAGNETIC MEMORY DEVICE OF THE TYPE FORMED BY WEAVING INTO A FABRIC STRUCTURE SEVERAL CONDUCTOR WIRES, EACH COATED WITH A MAGNETIC THIN-FILM, AS WEFT WIRES AND SEVERAL CONDUCTOR WIRES, INSULATED FROM EACH OTHER AND FROM THE WEFT WIRES, AS WARP WIRES, THE WEAVING ARRANGEMENT OF SAID FABRIC STRUCTURE WHEREIN, WITH RESPECT 